This proposal requests partial support for an international meeting on Myogenesis as part of the Gordon Research Conference series to be held in Waterville Valley Resort New Hampshire, 28 August - 2 Sept, 2011. The broad and long term goal of the conference is to increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of normal muscle homeostasis, aging, disease and regeneration, with an emphasis on mammalian models but with strong comparisons to other vertebrate and invertebrate systems. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene 45 speakers that represent critical areas of striated muscle research with a total of 180 participants for a five day conference in a relatively isolated setting. The program will have a keynote address on muscle diversity of cancers by a Nobel Prizewinner, and eight sessions that broadly address current issues in muscle specification, cell interplay during muscle development, muscle stem cells, systems biology of muscle including epigenetic mechanisms, regenerative strategies, the role of proliferation, immunity and inflammation in muscle repair, models of myopathy, aging and dystrophy, and emerging therapeutic approaches. In addition, four evening poster sessions will permit all participants to contribute to these topics. The significance of this application is that the Gordon Research Conference on Myogenesis is a critical component of the yearly series of conferences that bring together cutting edge muscle researchers in the international community. The health relatedness of this application is that the discussions generated within this interdisciplinary conference will define current outstanding questions in the field and will generate new experimental approaches in areas that affect human health and aging, muscle development and disease, and regenerative mechanisms and therapies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The 2011 Gordon Research Conference on New Horizons in Myogenesis will bring together 45 speakers that represent critical areas of striated muscle research with a total of 180 participants for a five-day conference focusing on increasing our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of normal muscle homeostasis, aging, disease and regeneration, with an emphasis on mammalian models and with strong comparisons to other vertebrate and invertebrate systems. The health relatedness of this application is that the discussions generated within this interdisciplinary conference will define current outstanding questions affecting human muscle health and aging, by in-depth exploration of mechanisms driving muscle development and disease, regeneration and repair, leading to new therapies based on these mechanisms.